Previously in vehicles and particularly in vans, a spare tire is stored and suspended upon the underside of a vehicle at the rear thereof. There have been employed lift assemblies which underlie the bracket which receives a spare tire, which includes a cable extending therefrom and a rotative drive arranged upon a first axis connected to the cable for selectively extending and retracting the cable on the end of which a spare wheel support is connected. Upon selective rotation of the rotative drive, the cable is extended and alternately retracted, for lowering or raising the spare tire. With this construction there has been a remote-controlled drive mechanism connected to the rotative drive of the lift assembly employing a conventional universal joint. In view of the limited amount of use of the lift assembly, the cost and installation of a conventional universal joint is excessive.